Page 92 - The Religion Of The Ignorant

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF "COURTING"

IN IGNORANTISM

nother culture of Ignorantism that starts during this period
A or shortly afterwards is the psychology of courting. Young
men and women raised in a self-interested, selfish way begin to
form distorted male-female relationships and prepare themselves
for an equally distorted concept of marriage in the period that fol-
lows.
A young man who suggests to a girl that they go out together is
also offering her a complete package, including his behavior, his
manner of speech, troubles, caprices, the places he goes and manner
of approaching people. The structure of this package, based on mu-
tual insecurity, is such as to demean both parties and help cause
them lose their personalities when put into practice. This relation-
ship model between people maintains its fundamental elements for
years, altering only in terms of places attended, clothing, style and
behavior in accord with conditions of the time.
During the courting period, both parties share the same state of
mind, ways of thinking and looking at events. Indeed, the precondi-
tion to experience such a period in the first place is to possess the
state of mind it requires. It is impossible to adopt the behavior this
system requires with a normal state of mind. This particular state

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